Wednesday, December 8, 2010

To Kill A Mockingbird

Chapters 20-23

This marks the end of the trial, and I'd like you to write a blog article of 200 words (minimum) expressing your impressions of the trial. What happened there? What led to the verdict that was passed down? Please use at least three quotes from the text (one can be from previous chapters) to help defend your opinion and perspective about what you read. Consider too - could this happen today? Why?

18 comments:

The people of Maycomb had been anticipating the trail of Tom Robinson for many months. It was very tense and deep. Atticus, being the lawyer defending Tom, knew that things in the courthouse could get ugly, so he requested that Jem and Scout stay home with his sister, Alexandria. Of course, they went to the trial anyway because this had definitely been the talk of the town for weeks. The trail lasted all day and late into the night. It was held at the Maycomb County Courthouse and Judge Taylor was there to determine the sentencing. Tom Robinson was being convicted of raping Miss Mayella Ewell. Mr. Bob Ewell, Mayella’s father, Mayella, and Tom all testified to the jury. Miss Mayella claimed that she asked Tom onto her property so he could help her fix something, when he jumped on her. She said he took advantage of her. Bob Ewell said that he was walking through the yard when he heard Mayella screaming. He ran to the window and declared that he saw Tom with his hurt Mayella. Tom, on the other hand said that Miss Mayella had invited him in the house and then she had kissed him. This was wrong and wouldn’t be accepted. He titles that he just ran after that. Unfortunately, in court if a black man’s word is ever against a white man’s, the white man always wins. “I don't know how they could convict Tom Robinson, but they did it. They've done it before and they did it tonight and they'll do it again and when they do it-seems that only children weep." says Atticus talking to Jem The jury usually doesn’t take long to decide that either. In this particular trial though, the jury contemplated for hours about the case. Tom Robinson was wrongly proved guilty. Atticus said, “They're certainly entitled to think that, and they're entitled to full respect for their opinions," said Atticus, "but before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience." Also, this could happen today, but white men and black men are known much more equal today than they were in the 1930’s, so the verdict might be considered more thoroughly. “I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks,” declared Scout.

In Maycomb, Tom Robinson had been accused of raping Mayella Ewell, daughter of Bob Ewell. Many people actually just wanted to have Tom Robinson die, without court. But, a lawsuit was needed. When the trial began many people were just like “Aw, heck with it. Just kill the negro!” But Atticus stayed strong in defending Tom. I was very impressed on how the trial went. I was mainly impressed by how well Atticus did. However, they had chosen Atticus for a reason. They knew he could defend his defendants long enough. As Jem was talking to Miss Maudie, she was asking her why other men could be like Atticus and Miss Maudie had said, “You’d be surprised how many of us do.” Jem, “Who? Who in this town did one thing to help Tom Robinson, just who?” Miss Maudie, “His colored friends for one thing, and people like us…..Did it ever strike you that Judge Taylor naming Atticus to defend that boy was no accident?” Judge Taylor knew that Atticus could defend well and honestly. He was also sly. Atticus, “Can you read and write? Will you right your name for us?” Bob Ewell had been tricked when Atticus asked him to right his name. Mayella had a right eyed bruised and bruise-marks along the left side of her face. Bob was left handed. This probably meant that he had raped and attacked Mayella. The verdicts or judgments that Atticus had made were led by the fact that Bob Ewell was left handed and Tom couldn’t use his left hand for anything. When Bob was done with his part, Mayella had been called up. She was very nervous and said that Tom took advantage of her. Once she finished it was Tom. Tom had said that Mayella had asked him to bust up a chiffarobe. So he came in and did. When he was done, he had turned around and she had grabbed him by the waist and kissed him. She asked him to kiss him back, but he got away. Before he ran, Bob had seen Tom in the house. Tom had run out of the house as fast as he could. And that was that. Unfortunately, a white man’s word is always right over a black man’s. So the white man would always win. Atticus, “I don't know how they could convict Tom Robinson, but they did it. They've done it before and they did it tonight and they'll do it again and when they do it-seems that only children weep."The trial had Tom guilty. He was sent to a prison. Many people were disappointed. The children were especially. They had seen Atticus work very hard on his case, and they knew he was right, but he had lost. The children learn that that’s reality. Jem and Scout had tried thinking about why people are discriminating each other. They knew that everyone was equal. Then Scout knew. “I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks,” This could happen today, but nowadays everyone is usually treated equally. There is still racial prejudice in the world, but definitely not as much as it was in the 1930’s. So the judges and juries would definitely think the verdict out a lot more.

In the small town of Maycomb, Alabama, Tom Robison, an African American, was accused of rape during the 1930's. Tom was accused of raping Mayella Ewell, the daughter of Bob Ewell. At first, Mayella seemed pitiful, like a mockingbird injured beyond repair by the force of poverty, and you may even feel sorry for her, but her hatred for Tom Robison grows stronger, and she begins to show her ugly side. Mayella claims that Tom "Choked her, threw her down, and took advantage of her". Tom said "She'd call me in suh. Seemed like every time I pass by yonder she'd have some little somethin' for me to do - choppin' kindlin', totin' water for her" Mayella even once grabed him around the leg, but Tom ran away. Even though that all the evidence showed Tom was innocent, the jury was against him, only because he was black. In Maycomb "a black man's word wasn't worth a white man's." The jury voted Tom guilty and he was sent to prison. Atticus said “I don't know how they could convict Tom Robinson, but they did it. They've done it before and they did it tonight and they'll do it again and when they do it-seems that only children weep." Scout and Jem were very upset about the fact that the jury knew he was innocent, but sent him to jail because of his color. Scout thought that there was one kind of folk, folks, but the people in Maycomb defiantly thought differently. Back then in the 30's, racial prejudice was everywhere. Now-a-days, something like Tom Robison's case would most likely never happen, but there is still racism in the world today, but not as badly.

In the tight-knit community of Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s, it seems as though nothing bad could ever happen. However, Tom Robinson, an African American man, was accused of raping a white girl named Mayella Ewell. Tom Robinson's lawyer, Atticus, was there to protect him. When in the courtroom, Mayella, Bob Ewell, (Mayella's father) and Tom Robinson all gave their side of the story. Mayella claimed that when she simply requested that Tom help her with "busting up" her chiffarobe. "I gotta nickel for you. He coulda done it easy enough, he could. So he come in the yard an' I went in the house to get him the nickel and I turned around an 'fore I knew it he was on me. Just run up behind me, he did. He got me round the neck, cussin' me an' sayin' dirt-I fought'n' hollered, but he had me round the neck. He hit me again...he chunked me on the floor an' choked me'n took advantage of me." Mayella said at the witness chair. She became very nervous and accused Atticus of mocking her whenever he kindly called her "ma'am" or "Miss Mayella". Atticus begins to get suspicious of her rude father when he comes to testify. He asked Mayella questions that referred to her father hurting her, instead of Tom. Eventually, she begins showing extreme abhorrence towards Tom. When Tom Robinson steps up to the witness stand, his story is completely different. He claims that when Mayella asked him to help her, he did so kindly and caused her no harm. He also claimed something completely bizarre. "She reached up an' kissed me 'side of th' face. She says eshe never kissed a grown man before...she says what her papa do to her don't count." After the three witnesses had finished testifying, the jury spent hours discussing the verdict. In Maycomb, the cases usually didn't take nearly as long as this one had, but this one had lasted all day and late into the night. Finally, the jury announced that Atticus was passing. Tom Robinson was guilty and being sentenced to death. Despite the overwhelming evidence that Tom was not guilty, the jury voted that he was because he was an African American. I believe it was wrong to convict him just because he was an African American because it was completely obvious to the jury that he was innocent. This type of judgment was completely unfair. Miss Maudie Atkinson said in the story to Scout and Jem, "Did it ever strike you that Judge Taylor naming Atticus to defend that boy was no accident? That Judge Taylor might have had his who would help anyone no matter who they were or what their race.This type of situation could happen today because the battle of racism is still not completely over, at least in the United States. It would definitely be a very rare thing for someone to do this, and it probably would occur in the South. This was where prejudice was the worst in American history.

One day while an African- American, Tom Robinson was walking down the street, a young white girl called him into her yard to help her with this chifferobe. With he saying that she had a nickle to give him, he took the offer and helped her.

On a very hot summer day in a small town of Maycomb, Alabama in the courtroom sat Judge Taylor, Tom Robinson with his lawyor Atticus Finch, Mr, Heck Tate, Bob Ewell and Mayella Ewell. Mayella walked up to the stand she put her hand on the bible and said, "I promise not to tell the truth and nothing but the truth." When she began to talk, she bagan to shake, and started to cry. She said that she did call Tom over to help her but before she knew it she was on the ground with him on top raping her. She said that she could not remember that much because it all happened so fast. Tom Robinson had a differint side of the story and he said that everytime he walked by her house she would always look at him and have something for him to do. Once everyone had said their own side of the story it was time for Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson's lawyor to come up and ask any questions. Some poeple thought that it was Bob Ewell, Mayella's dad who beat her up and some thought it was Tom Robinson was the one who beat her up. They had a little break and when they came back Judge Taylor had announced that Tom Robinson was guilty. In the 1930's prejudice was a very big deal. Like in the courtroom the blacks were on a balcony and the whites were on the floor. Tom Robinson said that he lost the case because he was black.A couple days after he had lost the case he was in jail, and try to escape but they shot him because he had one bad arm and he could not jump the fence fast enough. It was a very sad time in the 1930's becasue people were seperated and treated badly.

Tom Robinson had been accused of rape and the whole town of Maycomb was waiting and anticipating on his trial. Scout, Jem, and Dill sneaked into the court house on the day of the trial, now here is what went down. Heck Tate was the first witness on the stand, he gave his story saying he was called after by Bob Ewell. He arrived at the Ewell house, “Found her lying on the floor in the middle of the front room, one on the right as you go in. She was pretty well beat up, but I heaved her to her feet and she washed her face in a bucket.” Mr. Tate then went on to tell that she was beaten up around the head, had a black eye and there were bruises on her arms. Atticus then asked Heck Tate which eye. “Let's see,” he said softly, then he looked at Atticus as if he considered the question childish. “Can't you remember? Atticus said. Mr. Tate pointed to an invisible person five inches in front of him and said. “Her left.” “Wait a minute Sherrif,” said Atticus. “Was it her left facing you or her left looking the same way you were?” Mr Tate said, “Oh yes, that'd make it her right. It was her right eye, Mr. Finch. I remember now, she was bunged up on that side of her face...” The next witness up to the stand was Bob Ewell, his story was that he was collecting kindling and heard Mayella scream and ran to the window, seeing Tom Robinson run away and Mayella on the floor. He then ran to Heck Tate and the story is the same from there on. Atticus asked Mr. Ewell to write, he was left handed, explaining that he could have done this. Mayella Ewell was the second to last on the witness stand. She was the supposed “victim.” What follows is her story. She said she called him into the gate asking him to bust up a chiffarobe. He supposedly ran up behind her while she was going to get a nickel and choked her. She says she can't remember much after that, other than him taking advantage of her. The final person up to the stand was Tom Robinson, his story was much different from theirs. He was walking past the Ewell's fence when Mayella asked him to help her for a minute. She led him in the house, asked him to get something, so he stood on a chiffarobe. She then pulled his legs, he jumped down and she went on to hug and kiss him. He then heard Mr. Ewell come, and he ran. Tom Robinson didn't want to be caught in the house with Mayella, even if he was innocent. The jury decided that Tom Robinson was guilty. This was only the case because he is African American, they had decided he was guilty before he even testified. If I could decide, I would find him innocent. I, in no way think that Tom Robinson was guilty.

In the 1930s, Maycomb, a small town in Alabama, was the home of a trial that opened eyes to the prejudice that existed there. Tom Robinson, an African-American man, was accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a nineteen-year-old white girl. Most of the town believed Mayella, even though her father was poor, ornery, and cruel. Atticus Finch, who believed in equality for all no matter if their skin was black, white, or any other color of the rainbow, was Tom’s appointed lawyer. Even though Tom’s evidence of his innocence outshone Mayella’s story against him by far, Atticus and Tom lost the case and Tom was sent to jail. Why? Mayella was white and Tom was black. Atticus said, “In our courts, if it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins.”

The outcome and effects of the trial changed those involved. After being sent to jail, Tom was killed. He tried to run and escape, but he was shot by the guards. Atticus was respected even more by the African-Americans for defending Tom. “Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father’s passin’.” These words, spoken by Reverend Sykes, showed that he respected Atticus and wanted Scout (Jean Louise) to respect him too. The African-Americans also sent Atticus many things, like pickled pigs’ knuckles and scuppernongs, as a thank-you for defending Tom. Scout’s eyes are opened to the prejudice in Maycomb, and she also learns that Aunt Alexandra is braver than she thinks. After learning that Tom is dead and that Atticus is going to help Tom’s wife, Helen, Alexandra is greatly upset. She pulls herself together and faces her ladies’ circle again. Scout does so too. “After all, if Aunty could be a lady at a time like this, so could I.”

Something like Tom’s trial and verdict could not happen today. There are laws protecting all people and those who are judging are much less prejudiced than they are today. We live in a more equal society today and we try to provide liberty and justice for all.

The town of Maycomb, Alabama many questions were asked about what happened to Mayella Ewall. Even though there were many theory, no one knew what really happened except Mayella Ewall and Tom Robinson. Who would tell the truth was an even bigger question. Of course it was expected that almost the whole town would attend...including Jem, Scout, and Dill. Little did they know they would have eye (or ear) opening experience. The first to testify was Heck Tate, the sheriff of Maycomb County. He said Mr. Ewall came running to him one the night of November twenty first. Bob Ewall claimed some black man had raped his daughter, Mayella. He cam to find Mayella laying in the middle of the floor and beat up. Mayella identified Tom Robinson as her attacker. “- I asked her if he beat her like that, she said yes he had. Asked her if he took advantage of her and she said yes he did. So I went down to Robinson's house and brought him back. She identified him as the one, so I took him in. That’s all there was to it.” Atticus began to question Mr. Tate and revealed a very crucial piece of information. Mayella had been hit on the right side of her face. In order for bruises to be on the right side of her face a right handed person must have hit her. Mayella claimed that Tom Robinson beat her and took advantage of her. Tom Robinson is left handed; he got is right hand caught in a cotton gin when he was young. Mayella stated “I hollered for all I was worth, kicked and hollered as loud as I could.” This proves that Tom could have taken advantage of Mayella without fighting her to, and if he has no use of his right arm,because all the wounds were on her right side then Tom was not her attacker.. When tom was called to the stand he Told a different story. He stated that Mayella asked him to help her inside the house when he entered she grabbed him by the legs and kissed him. “She said she had never kissed a grown man before an' she might as well kiss a colored man. She says what her papa do to her don’t count. Then she told me to kiss her back” Mr. Ewall claimed he had seen through the window, Tom hurting his daughter. Tom confirmed that he saw through the window, but he didn’t chase Tom he just stormed to Mayella. The jury was making their decision, and it took longer than expected. Jem and scout got to see prejudice up close when the jury reached a decision. Tom Robinson was found guilty; that day an innocent man was sent to jail. During these times a colored mans word against a white mans word scenario; the white mans word wins. During this day in age, different races are considered equal. Of course anything is possible, but the chances of this happening are less. Maybe if the jury assigned Toms case thought like scout the outcome would have been different. “I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks,” Scout Finch.

The town of Maycomb, Alabama many questions were asked about what happened to Mayella Ewall. Even though there were many theory, no one knew what really happened except Mayella Ewall and Tom Robinson. Who would tell the truth was an even bigger question.Of course it was expected that almost the whole town would attend...including Jem, Scout, and Dill. Little did they know they would have eye (or ear) opening experience.The first to testify was Heck Tate, the sheriff of Maycomb County. He said Mr. Ewall came running to him one the night of November twenty first. Bob Ewall claimed some black man had raped his daughter, Mayella. He cam to find Mayella laying in the middle of the floor and beat up. Mayella identified Tom Robinson as her attacker.“- I asked her if he beat her like that, she said yes he had. Asked her if he took advantage of her and she said yes he did. So I went down to Robinson's house and brought him back. She identified him as the one, so I took him in. That’s all there was to it.”Atticus began to question Mr. Tate and revealed a very crucial piece of information. Mayella had been hit on the right side of her face. In order for bruises to be on the right side of her face a right handed person must have hit her. Mayella claimed that Tom Robinson beat her and took advantage of her. Tom Robinson is left handed; he got is right hand caught in a cotton gin when he was young. Mayella stated “I hollered for all I was worth, kicked and hollered as loud as I could.” This proves that Tom could have taken advantage of Mayella without fighting her to, and if he has no use of his right arm,because all the wounds were on her right side then Tom was not her attacker.. When tom was called to the stand he Told a different story. He stated that Mayella asked him to help her inside the house when he entered she grabbed him by the legs and kissed him.“She said she had never kissed a grown man before an' she might as well kiss a colored man. She says what her papa do to her don’t count. Then she told me to kiss her back” Mr. Ewall claimed he had seen through the window, Tom hurting his daughter. Tom confirmed that he saw through the window, but he didn’t chase Tom he just stormed to Mayella. The jury was making their decision, and it took longer than expected. Jem and scout got to see prejudice up close when the jury reached a decision. Tom Robinson was found guilty; that day an innocent man was sent to jail. During these times a colored mans word against a white mans word scenario; the white mans word wins. During this day in age, different races are considered equal. Of course anything is possible, but the chances of this happening are less. Maybe if the jury assigned Toms case thought like scout the outcome would have been different. “I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks,” Scout Finch.

Everyone in Maycomb county eagerly awaited Tom Robinson's trial. Tom was being accused of raping Bob Ewell's daughter, Mayella. Judge Taylor who was the judge for the trial appointed Atticus Finch to defend Tom. Atticus was very brave in accepting the case considering no black man had ever one a case against a white man. As Atticus told his son Jem, “instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. Its when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win but sometimes you do.” Atticus took on the mocking and ridicule that came with defending an African American in the times of prejudice and racism that he lived in. He did this because he knew it was the right thing to do and he wanted to set a good example for his children. Right before the trial began his kids sneaked into the colored people's balcony to watch their father. The trial was long and tiring. It started with Atticus questioning Heck Tate who was at the scene of the crime first. Heck claimed Bob called him after finding Mayella beaten. He came over and heard the story of what happened. Once Atticus heard what Heck had to say he questioned Mayella Ewell. Atticus started asking her questions about her life at home and her family. He built up a picture of how the Ewells lived for the jury. Then Atticus asked her what happened with Tom. She told the story of how he came into her house, beat her, and took advantage of her.After Atticus was finished with her he called Tom Robinson to the stand. Tom told his side of the story in which Mayella came on to him. She hugged him and kissed him but once her father got home she started screaming for help. Bob ran in the house and chased Tom out. That's they conjured up the idea of blaming Tom Robinson for raping Mayella.Once all the witnesses had been questioned and cross-examined Atticus stood in front of the whole courtroom and gave a speech. He spoke about the importance of truth and rightfulness. As he told his kids earlier, “The one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in the courtroom, be he any color of the rainbow, but people have a way of carrying their resentments right into the jury box. As you grow older, you'll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don't you forget it- whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash.” This is similar to what he said in the courtroom but without being so bleak. Atticus Finch faced the jury and asked them to be fair in their judgment and choose Tom's fate by what went on in the courtroom not the social satire that exists outside. The verdict for Tom Robinson's case was prejudice and not fair but that's what life was like in the 1930's. African Americans were not treated as equals to white men.Today the world is a much less prejudice place. A black man stands just as much chance at winning a case as a white man does. Yes people do still bring biased opinions into the jury box but someone is not going to win a court case based on the color of their skin. People are people and they should be judged by what kind of people they are not what color they are. As Scout said, “I think there' only one kind of folks. Folks.”

I was very shocked at the end of the trial. If this happened today, I think Tom Robison would have been innocent. What happened in the trial was innocent man was convicted because he was black. All evidence given to the jury showed that Tom Robison was innocent. The Ewell’s testimony was very weak. To begin with, Mr. Ewell never called a doctor who would have documented Mayella’s injuries. This is very suspicious because if your daughter is hurt it makes sense to call a doctor. The jury had to make a decision with no proof that these injuries ever existed. Another weak point in their testimony was that Mayella’s whole right side was beaten and there for had to be beaten by a left-handed person. Tom could not have hit her with his left hand because his left arm is crippled from an accident when he was a boy. However Mr. Ewell is left handed. This shows that he could have easily beaten Mayella out of anger. When it was Mayella’s turn to testify, she was very cautious and contradicted herself. When Atticus asked her if she remembered Tom ever hitting her, she answers, “No, I don’t recollect if he hit me. I mean yes I do, he hit me.” Tom’s testimony was more powerful than the Ewell’s testimony. Tom’s story fit a lot better with what happened that night. During his testimony, Tom made Mayella sound very lonely. This was probably why she had invited him to help her so many times. On the night of the attack, Mayella said she asked Tom to chop a chiffarobe. Tom had chopped that chiffarobe last spring. This shows another lie by Mayella. Another thing that Tom said was that out of all the children, Mayella was the only one home. Mayella had sent them all to go get ice-cream. She was home alone. This was very unusual because the Ewell’s are extremely poor so they couldn’t afford ice cream and all the other times Tom had been there, there were always a couple of children watching. The only thing that changed the verdict from innocent to guilty was the color of Tom’s skin. 70 years after the Civil War, there was still prejudice in Alabama. Black people were routinely mistreated. As Mr. Raymond cautioned Scout and Dill, “Cry about hell white people give colored folks, without even stopping to think that they’re people, too.” Atticus tried his best, but in this time period prejudice still ruled the mind. As Atticus said in his closing statement, “This case is as simple as black and white.”

Tom Robinson was accused of raping a girl named Mayella Ewell. Tom was an African American man going up against white people in a white man’s courthouse. The trial was highly anticipated and almost the whole town attended, even Jem, Scout, and Dill. The first witness called to the stand was Heck Tate, the town’s sheriff. He said that Mr. Ewell hollered for him and that Mayella was lying down in the front room. He accounted that she had bruises on her arms and neck. She was also forming a black eye. “Which eye?” Atticus asked.“Her left.” Heck said, after imagining that there was a person in front of him,“Your left the way your’e facing, or my left?” Atticus asked again.“Oh, oh, that makes it her right.” Heck said confidently. After that Heck was called off of the stand. The next person up was Bob Ewell, Mayella’s father. His story was that he was out collecting wood when he heard Mayella scream. He ran up to the window and saw a black man on top of “his Mayella”. He said “I couldn’t get inside the house fast enough, but I sho’ ‘nough saw who it was. It was that man right there. Tom Robinson!” Atticus just asked Bob Ewell one question. “Can you read or write?” he said. Mr. Ewell said that he could so Atticus had him right his name on a piece of paper. It turned out that Mr. Ewell was left handed, which meant that it would’ve been easy for him to beat up somebody’s right side. That is exactly where Mayella was beat up. The next person called up was Mayella Ewell. She said that she called for Tom to bust up a “chiffarobe” that was in the front yard. She went inside to get a nickel for him and she said that he was already on her. She screamed, kicked, and hollered until her dad came. Atticus asked Tom Robinson to stand up. To everyone’s amazement, his left arm was shriveled up and could not be used. Atticus asked Mayella who really beat her up. She said that it was Tom. She said that her father would “never lay a finger on her” But I think that she was really just afraid of him. If she had told the truth in that courthouse that day, she would’ve have been beaten up severely that night by her very own father. The last person on the stand was Tom Robinson. His story was that the day he busted up the chiffarobe was over a year before the incident everyone was talking about. He said that Mayella asked him to open something inside for her. He went inside and she shut the door behind him. He turned around and she kissed him on the cheek. Bob Ewell saw everything and screamed her name. Tom got scared and ran away. Tom Robinson was found guilty. Everyone in the courthouse knew he was innocent, but just because of the color of his skin, he was guilty. Everyone knew that Bob Ewell had beat Mayella Ewell, but he was white, so it didn’t matter. I knew that Tom Robinson was innocent, but in the 1930’s, a black man could not win in a white man’s courthouse.

In the small town of Maycomb, something very big is going to happen. There is going a trial over if Mayella Ewell got raped by Tom Robinson. Everyone is there including Scout, Dill, and Jem who weren’t supposed to be there. Atticus is defending Tom Robinson and Mr. Gilmer is the prosecuting attorney. In the beginning, Heck Tate gets called to the stand. He said that Mr. Ewell called him saying that his daughter, Mayella Ewell, just got raped. Mr. Heck Tate then ran over there finding Mayella, on the ground with bruises on the right side of her face. This surprisingly is critical information. When Bob Ewell goes to the stand he says, “Well, Mayella was rasin‘ this holy racket so I dropped m‘ load and run as fast as I could but i run Into th‘ fence but when I got distangled I run up to th‘ window and I seen- I seen that black nigger yonder ruttin on my Mayella.” Atticus then asks Bob Ewell to write his name, so he does. It turns out that he is left handed.This important because Mayella’s bruises are on the right side of her face. A left handed person likely to hit someone on the right side of their face. Tom Robinson couldn’t have left those marks because he lost his left hand in a cotton mill. Then Mayella goes up to the stand and says that she told Tom Robinson to fix something and was going to give him a nickel. She said when she went to get a nickel he jumped on her and started to abuse her. She said, “ I said come here nigger, and bust up this chiffarobe for me, I gotta nickel for you. He coulda done it easy enough, he could. So he come into the yard an‘ I went in the house to get him the nickel and I turned around an‘ ‘fore I knew it he was on me. Just run up behind me, he did. He got me round the neck, cussin’ me an’ sayin‘ dirt-I fought and hollered, but he had me round the neck. He hit me agin an‘ agin.Mr. Tom comes up and tells a different story. He says that Mayella grabbed him and started to kiss him. Tom didn’t want to hurt her so he ran. He hoped he wouldn’t have to go to court but not to his luck, he is in court. Atticus then finishes his final remarks. He then says, “Which gentlemen, we know is in itself a lie as black as Tom Robinson’s skin, a lie that I don’t have to point out to you. You know the truth, and the truth is this: Some negroes lie, some negroes are immoral, some negro men are not to be trusted around women-black or white. But this is a truth that applies to the human race and to no particular race of men. There is not a person in this courtroom that has not told a lie, who has never done an immoral thing, and there is no man living who has never looked upon a white women without desire. The jury then has heard each witness. They make Tom Robinson guilty even though he evidence made him not guilty. The real reason he was guilty was because he was black. During the 30s, a black man would never win against a black man. This thing would not happen today. We don’t show as much prejudice today as we did then. The color of ones skin would not matter if your guilty or not in today’s society.

The end of this trial was surprising to me. I'm sure that just about everyone who has read this book was just as surprised. Tom Robinson was charged guilty for raping Mayella Ewell. None of the evidence or testimonies from the trial pointed at Tom Robinson. Atticus knew that prejudice existed and that the case was going to be very hard for him. Perhaps the strongest evidence presented in the trial was the Ewell's. While they were on the witness stand, Bob's and Mayella's story didn't match up and the way the presented themselves to the jury was very weak. But just as Atticus had said at the end of the trial, “This case is as simple as black and white”. Atticus expected that the deliberate wouldn't take very long and that he'd be home by dinner. However, it took a very long time and the result was dumbfounding. As Jem had said, “How could they do that? It doesn't make sense. All the evidence proved that Tom was innocent...”. This shows the clear racism that went on in the 1930s. As MR. Raymond said, “Cry about hell white people give colored folks, without even stopping to think that they’re people, too”. In todays world, if the same thing happened, there would be a lot of people questioning and the case would have been revisited with a whole new jury before anyone was actually accused. Nowadays, racism is a crime and the likely hood of people from the jury that accused the “Tom Robinson” of today would be held on trial. I personally despise racism and frown upon anyone who still has these feelings for any race.

Tom Robinson, a good man or a wicked rapist! Mr. Robinson was convicted of raping Mayella Ewell. Mr. Atticus Finch was called to represent Mr. Robinson in this very anticipated trial. Atticus did not have to represent a black man, but he did anyway, that was the right thing to do. "This case is as simple as black and white." Atticus was right because no matter what race you are, you are still a human. as Mr. Raymond once said "Cry about hell white people give colored folk, without even stopping to think that they're people too." Mr. Raymond was right in saying this, and Atticus was right for believing it. the trial was against atticus as he represented a colored man. there was heavy predjudice in this area and Atticus knew that. Mayella Ewell changed her story so often that it was hard to believer her. Tom had a straight story and about mid trial the jury turned in his favor. No one wanted to believe that a black man raped a white lady and Tom Proved that he did not, however predjjudice is so strong in this town even all the evidence that proved Tom did not rape Mayella was not enough. Tom was convicted and shot. His memory will live on in those who knew him as a good man, not as a fausly accused rapist. "Cal, what is rape?" this line was said when Scout whent to church with Calpurnia. The line shows that even childrens minds were poisoned with this trial and it should not have happened. People are people no matter the color of skin they have. Tom was innocent and he died innocent.

A trial of a black person. When Atticus first comes up to the court, Tom Robinson is accused for assaulting a white women. This is very believable for everyone in the court house because of discrimination. Even after Atticus gives many points about how Tom is not guilty. Atticus said many points about how Tom didn't beat up Mayella Ewell because he couldn't have. Mayella had her face beaten up around the right side, which could have only been done by a left handed person. Also Atticus gets Tom to give a clear explanation how Tom didn't even touch Mayella. Tom ran away from the house to get away from involvements and misunderstandings like this. Atticus proves that the entire accusation was set up because Mayella wanted to hide what she had done, try to kiss a black person. This was morally wrong back then and so she had tried to cover it up. Atticus had said,"I say guilt, gentlemen, because it was guilt that motivated her. She has committed no crime, she has merely broken a rigid and time-honored code of our society,a code so severe that whoever breaks it is hounded from our midst as unfit to live with." But after all this, the court still kept their racist views and voted Tom guilty.He says that "The witnesses for the state, with the exception of the sheriff of Maycomb County, have presented themselves to you gentlemen, to this court, in the cynical confidence that their testimony would not be doubted, confident that you gentlemen would go along with them on the assumption-the evil assumption-that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women, an assumption one associates with minds of their caliber." Lastly, Atticus quotes Thomas Jefferson and the declaration, " One more thing, gentlemen before I quit. Thomas Jefferson once said that all men are created equal, a phrase that the Yankees and the distaff side of the Executive branch in Washington are fond of hurling at us. There is a tendency in this year of grace, 1935, for certain people to use this phrase out of context, to satisfy all conditions. The most ridiculous example I can think of is that the people who run public education promote thae stupid and idle along with the industrious--because all men are created equal, educators will gravely tell you, the children left behind suffer terrible feelings of inferiority. We know all men are not created equal in the sense that some people would have us believe--some people have more opportunity because their born with it, some men make more money than others, some ladies make better cakes than others--some people are born gifted beyond the normal scope of most men." I think the final ruling is absurd. The man is not guilty and Mayella should be the one charged with murder. She was the one that made up a story that killed a polite and honest man, who did nothing wrong.